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and malice meet together in one man then there ⟨is⟩ the sin against the Holy Ghost. Now as all ⟨other⟩ sins, so is this sin against the Holy Ghost.
I. In thought; that is when a wicked man against his clear light and knowledge, doth but conceive a malicious thought or purpose towards persecuting the Gospel of Christ, or of the saints of Christ to hinder the work of the Holy Ghost on them.
This sin as is to be thought was the sin of the lost angels; for which cause they were lost without all hopes of pardon. Now some dispute whether this sin was a sin of the thought; but say in all likelihood it was; for the angels being only spirits without bodies, and so having no use of bodily tongues it could not be committed in word, not yet could they commit it in action, because they were cast out of heaven, before they could bring it into practise: therefore it must be a sin for the thought.
Now the sin was this: Their habitation being in the highest heavens and under God himself, they had exceeding great light and knowledge, they had more knowledge than all the men in tho world ever had, aud were happy above all other creatures; but when not being contented with this estate, they thought to be as high as God himself, therefore they maliciously sought to make war against the Son of God, and were immediately thurst out of heaven never more to see the face of mercy; and thus from the beginning they have been counted malicious and revengeful; as raging beasts and as roaring
